The Demon of Ohu
by Ascended Demon
Summary: Not long after the war with Hougen, a new enemy makes an appearance. But this enemy is unlike anything the Ohu soldiers have ever faced. A demon. Will Weed manage to defeat such an evil being? Or is the demon's darkness too great for him to fight against?
1. It Begins

It was a silent night in Ohu, and a young akita pup was resting within Gajou, along with his father, Gin, the former Leader of Ohu. No one in Gajou had been awake tonight, until Weed slowly opened his eyes. He quietly stood up so that he wouldn't awaken his father before he walked out of the room they shared, then he walked towards the entrance of Gajou before he finally exited the massive fortress that he and the Ohu soldiers called home.

The night seemed rather peaceful as the moon and the stars shined brightly, and no one else had been awake. But why did Weed feel as so something was off? The feeling he felt was very unusual, a feeling unlike anything he had felt before. It was something that he just couldn't completely identify, but it seemed like he had sensed something... dark. Something that was wrong.

Although, he couldn't exactly tell what it was, just that it seemed dark in some aspect. There was just this aura that made the young Akita feel almost uncomfortable, and strangely, the aura felt somewhat familiar to him, yet it was something he had never felt before. And that was enough for him to realize that something most certainly wasn't right.

However, he didn't want to disturb his friends, since it had merely been a day since Hougen was defeated, and everyone was still tired from the battle. Besides, for all Weed knew, it was all in his head. A manifestation of his stress, so why bother the others when there was the chance that there wasn't anything wrong? And so, he decided to just investigate on his own, cause perhaps it was just nothing.

Weed began to search for the source of whatever this feeling was, but this aura had a wide range, so going to the source was actually leading the Akita away from Gajou. But this didn't convince him to turn back, because he felt that as the Ohu Leader, it was his responsibility to make sure that his pack was safe. So he pushed on, going further and further away from the others, even after Gajou was no longer within his sight.

Unfortunately, as he felt himself approaching the source of the strange aura, it began to become more clear as to what it was. It was dark in a rather evil aspect, and it was very unnatural, because despite the evil of his former enemies, Weed never felt an aura of evil from them, much less one this dark and powerful. So what exactly was it that he was nearing? What could possibly have such an aura?

For the first time in quite a while, Weed could feel it; fear. He may have felt fear before, such as fear of losing to Hougen and whatnot, but that had been under different circumstances. Right now, the young pup was alone, away from his friends, and slowly approaching the source of this evil feeling he felt.

As he got closer, he felt the urge to turn back, to run and get help, because he knew for sure that something was definitely wrong. This couldn't have been all in his head. Could it? And why, why did it feel so familiar? Why did it feel like he knows this aura, when he has never felt anything close to it before?

"I can't turn back." He whispered to himself. "You have to figure out what it is, find out what you're dealing with. For the sake of Ohu."

Then he could feel it, not just an aura, but also a presence. An evil one, filled with much more darkness than Weed had ever thought possible. And once again, he was questioning his decisions, wondering if he had to go back and alert the others. But he soon realized that if he turned back now, he might not find out what is wrong, and should anything happen, he would be responsible because he did not figure out what it was that might pose a threat to Ohu in the future. With that, he gathered his will, along with his remaining courage and kept going, but that courage was rapidly decreasing as he neared the source.

What was it? It could not possibly be anything normal. None of his enemies had such an aura or presence, regardless of how evil they were. Was it possible that he was approaching a demon of some sort? Considering the possibility, it actually made sense to the Akita, because how could anything less of such a being possess such evil? Not even Hougen possessed this much evil.

The urge to turn back had become stronger than before as he courage had almost completely faded away. But Weed knew that he was so close to the source, so close to finding out what it was. And at that moment, he realized that it was already too late for him to change his mind.

"I've come too far." He said to himself. "I've come too far to turn back, so I must keep going."

So one last time, he gathered his will as he felt that there was nothing left of his courage, and he forced himself to keep walking, even as his fear was telling him that he should do the opposite. It was too late to listen to his fear, now. And besides, he was about to find the source, so why not go a few steps further?

Finally, he felt that it was within his line of sight, so after some rather intense hesitation, Weed managed to entered the area where the source was. But his eyes widened when he saw that he was at the field, hardly twenty feet from the sakura tree, which actually more beautiful than before, as well as larger. Almost too large for a sakura tree.

However, even as he gazed at its beauty, Weed felt that the aura was still there. Then he noticed something, and he looked down to see a figure he had not seen there before. The figure was definitely canine, but it was facing the sakura tree, with its back towards Weed. The canine was within the shadow of the sakura tree, yet Weed noticed that the shadows seemed unusually dark, especially when there was moonlight.

"W-Who are you?" Weed asked, unable to keep his fear out of his tone.

The figure, whoever it was, did not turn to look at the Akita as it seemed to stare at the tree. However, it did speak.

"Who am I?" The voice caused Weed to gasped as he flinched. It was unlike anything he had heard, and it sounded completely demonic. Although, it only took a moment for Weed to realize that the dog's tone didn't suggest any hostility. "I have been wondering what my name should be for some time, you know. There are many names I would like to take, but it's not easy to pick. Some of the names I like the sound of lack the meaning that I feel represents me."

Weed could hardly feel his own confusion as his feeing of fear was much stronger. "What are you doing here?"

The dog in the shadows cracked his neck. "I merely came here to visit this beautiful tree, as well as help it grow larger and more beautiful. Such a thing is rather singular; truly one of a kind."

Weed nodded hesitantly. "That sounds beautiful."

The dog nodded slowly. "Indeed."

"W-What -" Weed could not find the words as he felt nothing more than hesitation and fear.

"...Am I?" The dog asked knowingly. "It is very simple, Weed. I am a demon."

The Akita's eyes widened in shock and horror. "W-What?"

Slowly, the dog in the shadows turned around, and that's when Weed saw the dog's eyes. Or what he could see of them, anyway. There was nothing but blackness in the dog's eyes, and while Weed knew little about demonic beings, he knew for sure that black eyes were not natural.

"Please, we don't want any trouble." Weed pleaded fearfully. "You don't have to hurt us."

"I don't have to?" The demonic dog asked, slowly becoming angry. "Of course I have to! I want to!"

"Why? Why would you want to hurt any of us?"

"Because, it'll satisfy me when I make some of the Ohu soldiers suffer! I'll take everything from them, until they have nothing left. Then I'll debate whether or not I'll kill them. But then again, it is likely that many Ohu soldiers will die by my hand."

"You don't have to do this!" Weed yelled. "Killing us isn't necessary! Please, can't there be peace between us?"

The demon snorted. "There was a time where I believed it peace. But that's just not how this world, or any world works, Weed! All there is, is greed, pride, sin, all of that is why there is no peace! You may have brought peace to Ohu, but peace never lasts."

"It can last!" Weed argued. "We can try to make it last."

"Not everything lasts forever." The demon stated. "Peace isn't something that lasts forever. If it did, there wouldn't be war!"

Weed, despite his fear, got into a fighting stance. "Then you are leaving me with no choice."

The demon dog's eyes narrowed as he glared down at the Akita. "You cannot, and will not defeat me."

"You underestimate the spirit of an Ohu soldier." Weed said, losing some of his fear as it was slowly being replaced by rage. He lunged at the demon, but the demonic canine merely smacked the pup across the face with the back of his paw. However, after Weed hit the ground hard, he realized he was bleeding. That's when he noticed the deep slashes on his cheek.

"No." The demon said. "YOU underestimate the power of a demon. You have lost your courage as soon as he felt my evil aura. You may have a strong fighting spirit, but I am the one with supernatural power. My demonic soul is much stronger than your mortal soul."

Weed snarled as he stood back up. "Regardless of whatever power you may possess, I will fight you, and I will not give up!"

"Oh, but I already know that you won't. But that doesn't mean that you'll win this fight."

The words sounded too true, so Weed decided that his only option was to put everything he had into this fight. The Akita pup charged at the demon before leaping into the air, then he spun forward.

"Zetsu Tenrou Battouga!"

However, the demon had an almost bored expression before he leapt towards Weed and spun forward, performing the battouga flawlessly. As he was spinning, Weed's eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing as he remembered Tesshin saying that not everyone could do a real battouga. And right now, Weed did not know what to do in this situation, but he had to fight, so he did not stop, even as they quickly span towards each other.

But once they were about to clash, the demon did not bite Weed. Instead, he headbutted the pup, sending him back over twenty meters. Weed rolled around as he struggled to regain his footing, but he failed to do so and kept rolling until his back hit a tree. Grunting in pain, the Akita finally managed to stand back up, only for his eyes to widen the moment he saw the demon dog standing in front of him with that same glare.

"You should not underestimate your enemies. And you call yourself a good leader? You're rather pitiful."

As a last ditch effort, Weed leapt at the demon, only for the demonic canine to grabbed his front leg with his jaws before swinging the pup towards the sakura tree. Weed slammed into the tree with enough force to make it shake before falling to the ground.

"You waste your time with peace. But peace does not, and will not last. There's no such thing as peace!" The demon shouted furiously.

"That's what you believe." Weed said as he stood back up once again; although, he struggled due to the pain he was feeling.

"Oh, if only that were true. If only my words were part of a mere belief. But one day, Weed, you are going to learn that I'm right, and it'll be the hard way."

Before the demon could do anything else, the sound of heavy footsteps were heard as dogs could be seen charging at them. They were the Ohu soldiers, and it seemed that they had heard the commotion.

"Who the hell are you?" Kyoushiro demanded as he lunged at the demon. But the demon just stood there and waited until he was in range before punching the Kishu in the chest, sending Kyoushiro flying back several hundred yards.

"I'm a demon, you fools! I'M A DEMON!" The demon screamed.

"Demon or not, we will defeat you." Akame said.

The demon glared at him, and the Iga Lord couldn't help but shudder when he felt the evil aura. "Weed thought the same thing. Ask him how that worked out."

"Bastard!" Kyoushiro yelled as he returned, charging at the demon before lunging out him once again. This time, though, the demon didn't look at the Kishu as he grabbed him by the throat, chocking him as he held him in the air. Then, he looked at him with that same glare, and even Kyoushiro felt fear as he looked into the demon's eyes.

"I feel so sorry... for your father." He whispered furiously. "No one should ever have a pup as horrible as you! Always breaking everything you touch!" And with that, he threw Kyoushiro into Hiro, who was knocked back by the strong and sudden force of the impact.

"Who are you?!" Weed demanded. "What is it that you want?"

"I already told you want it is that I wanted." The demon replied. "But I shall tell you my name before I go. I am Malum."

And with that, the demon was gone. Just disappeared.

Weed panted before looking back at his friends with an uncertain look. In some of their eyes, he could see fear. All of them were now afraid of what the demon could do. He had shown them all what he could do. And it was at that moment that Weed's own fears were confirmed.

... They were at war.


	2. Preparations

Weed stood quietly by the entrance of Gajou as he waited patiently for the generals and the other high-ranking officers of Ohu to arrive. The reason for the wait was because Kyoushiro had been wounded when he fought against the demon Malum. But knowing how stubborn the young Kishu can be, Weed had decided that it'd be best to just wait for his friend to get here.

It was almost noon, but most of the Ohu Army was awake. A lot of the soldiers were gathered around Gajou, murmuring to each other about what had gone down in the field last night. And Weed could see it on their faces; fear. The pup couldn't exactly make out what they were saying with all the talking, but it sounded like they had heard that it had been a demon or something of the sort. What had him concerned was how these soldiers were afraid, some of them looking worried some about their chances against this new threat.

There wasn't much he could say to calm them down, not when he had to discuss the issue. And to his luck, Kyoushiro finally arrived. Weed wasn't particularly surprised when he noticed that his friend was limping a bit.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Are we gonna do something or what?"

Weed smiled despite himself. Leave it to Kyoushiro to show no fear. Although, Weed couldn't help but notice something odd about the Kishu's expression, as if he was trying to mask something. Whatever it was though, Weed would have to ask him later, because he already had something to focus on at the moment.

"Father, is everyone else here?" He asked.

Gin nodded. "Yes, Son. We're ready."

Weed nodded. "Good. Everyone, follow me inside."

The young Akita took the lead as the generals and his commander followed him into the stone fortress of Gajou. Each and every one of them sat down in a single, with Weed sitting in a spot meant only for the Ohu Leader. His father and his friend both sat at his sides as everyone in the main room waited for him to speak.

"Alright, everyone. I believe we are all ready to discuss the issue that we are currently having to deal with." Weed looked at his subordinates uneasily. "And I don't think there is an easy way to say it, but I will. It seems as though that we are at war, and since there is no other explanation for what we all witnessed last night, I believe we may actually be dealing with a demon. Not a demon in an evil sense like Akakabuto, but an actual demon. Now, that doesn't entirely change what we have to do. The question is this: What do we do?"

Akame spoke up. "I believe it would be wise if we tried to learn as much as we can about Malum. If he truly is a demonic being, then we must know how powerful he is and what a demon like him is capable of."

"We already know that he has supernatural strength." Kurotora said bluntly. "And I'm pretty sure demons aren't harmed by mortal means, unless his body or whatever isn't exactly supernatural like the rest of his powers. He's probably just more durable than a normal dog."

"Kurotora, how do you understand so much about demons?" Gin asked his friend, surprised as well as everyone else in the cave.

The Kai Dog simply shrugged. "I get bored, and the supernatural has a way of interesting me. I've read a lot about demons and demonic powers, but some of the information I got was different from each other. Some say a demon must possess someone in order to walk the Earth."

"We know that's not true." Kyoushiro stated.

Kurotora nodded. "It would've been good news, as we could've found a way to exorcise him. Some of the other information says that demons are vulnerable to things holy, and I'm not sure Ohu is exactly holy just because we view it that way. Or it is and demons just don't get affected by such."

"I do know a couple other things about Malum." Weed stated. "He had this aura that induces fear in others. I myself almost didn't have the courage to even make it to him as the fear kept getting stronger the closer I got to him. And there's also the fact that he is capable of using the battouga flawlessly."

Now that caused everyone's eyes to widen as they stared as their leader incredulously.

"Are you certain, Leader?" Tesshin asked.

Weed nodded. "Yes. That's how he countered my own battouga, except he headbutted me instead of delivering the proper blow."

"Then this is worse than we thought." Gin said, sounding worried. "And this may only be a part of the Demon's true power. My father called Akakabuto a demon, but this is something else entirely. As much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure the odds are in our favor."

"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Gin." Kurotora objected. "If I can find out what information on the supernatural is true and what is false, I may be able to figure out a way to combat Malum. Not only that, but he may not actually be that imperious to mortal means."

Gin nodded, feeling reassured. "That could work. But, Kurotora, do you have any idea what might be true about demons?"

"Well, we already know he's supernaturally strong." The Kai Dog replied. "And last night, when he left, he just disappeared, so he may be able to teleport, or he moves at supernatural speeds. Personally, I believe it's the former, considering how we didn't see him move in the slightest. I also imagine that as a demon, he's immortal, and there's no telling what powers he may possess that are associated with immortality." He looked towards the leader. "Weed, did you see him use any other ability?"

The Akita shook his head. "No. Although, he did mention that he had a demonic soul."

Kurotora nodded, looking intrigued. "That's interesting. Sounds like his soul itself is made out of demonic power. From my reading, I stumbled upon theories that souls are not made up of matter or energy of anything kind, especially when they have no particles. They're this indeterminable thing beyond mortal comprehension. According to the theory, the soul itself is made up of pure, sentient supernatural power. And I wonder, if his soul is made up of demonic supernatural power, then does that mean that he can tap into its power? And if he can, then what does that allow him to do?"

"First, though, I think it would be best if we focused on what we already know rather than assume what Malum might be capable of." Akame said. "The soldiers are already becoming worried about the situation, and they may question whether or not we're capable of dealing with a supernatural threat."

"As much sense as that makes, Akame, we still have very limited information on Malum, and there's still the possibility that he does possess more abilities than what we've seen." Gin stated.

"My father's right. Until we find a way to actually fight back, we're going to have to keep our guard up." Weed said. "Should anyone see him, I do not want them to engage. We cannot afford to take our chances considering the circumstances. The last thing we need is for anyone to die needlessly."

Gin nodded. "Since not much else can be said, this meeting is now over."

Everyone in the room nodded before standing up and making their way out of Gajou. Weed looked up at his father.

"Are you sure about this?"

Gin raised a brow. "What do you mean, son?"

"Do you think we'll be ready for something like this? This is unlike anything we've ever seen." Weed replied.

Gin sighed. "I worried we won't be, but this'll all work out fine. All we need to do is be ready for if and when he strikes again."

Weed nodded. "I hope we will be."

* * *

Most people were foolish. At least, that's what Malum believed. It wasn't hard for him to hear the conversation within Gajou, even though he was standing outside the fortress. A benefit to being such a powerful supernatural being, supernatural senses. It was near impossible for mortals to ever get the jump on him, not that one has ever even come close. No mortal could get close to him unless he let them, just like he did last night.

 _"Pitiful."_ He said. _"_ _How they think they'll stand a chance against me. But I guess I shouldn't talk like that. It sounds almost arrogant."_

The Demonic Dog let out a tired sigh. Up until last night's fight, things had been relatively uneventful for him, and he had been waiting for quite some time, trying to figure out what his plan was. What he should do. So after a while, he had eventually decided to come here to Ohu, and his plan was already set in motion.

"Sir?"

Malum did not look over his shoulder towards the dog who spoke, but he did response. "What is it, Akio?"

Behind him stood one of his subordinates, a Belgian malinois named Akio. This dog, who was mortal, was actually his second in command, as well as his brightest and most loyal soldier, which is what earned him his rank.

"We've finally reached word from the rest of our messengers. Each and every one of our battalions are complete. The generals are just waiting for your order, Sir. Are we ready?"

Malum nodded, not taking his gaze off of Gajou, which stood in the distance, not very far from where he stood, in a spot where he wouldn't be seen. "I've already intimidated the Ohu Army, so they'll be worried more about me than an army they won't know is in any way associated with me. It is time for the next step of the plan. Spread the word to the generals in the south, tell them to wait until nightfall. That's when they'll make their move."

Akio nodded, although he appeared to be worried. "But, S-Sir? If I may, I just wonder, is all of it truly necessary? I mean, I do see your point. I really do. But... I can't help but feel like it's just a bit much. Isn't it all just too much force?"

Now, had it been another one of his subordinates, Malum would've spoken much more sternly, but he knew how speak to Akio, his favorite.

"Now, Akio, you are correct, one would interpret our methods as too much, but you and I both know that the world just isn't perfect like that. People will not listen, they never do. That is why force is our only option, because if they won't hear us, then we have to make them hear us."

"Of course, Sir." The Belgian Malinois replied somewhat shakily, nodding his head as he turned away, only for his eyes to widen as Malum appeared in front of him. However, the Demon's demonic aura was... calm, somehow friendly and comforting as he placed a paw on his subordinate's shoulder.

"I understand that this is not something you are used to. Believe me, there was a time where I used another method to achieve this goal that we are after. But people didn't listen to me. They didn't like my ways. They thought I was weak. In the end, I had no choice but to change my ways... along with who I was." Akio looked shocked when he saw what appeared to be pain and sadness in his leader's eyes, but it only lasted for a moment. "I do not wish for you to go through what I did, because the change was difficult. I forgot who I was. I even questioned if I ever even knew who I had been to begin with. The point is, I plan to do this, without you having to change who you are. You understand?"

Despite how kind a demon like Malum could be to their subordinates, Akio never expected such empathy. His kindness was actually one of the reasons he was willing to follow a demonic being in the first place, and his ways made sense. Malum's plans were something that just had to work, because it compensated for how people are and what it takes for them to listen. In short, Malum was perfect, despite having a soul full of darkness. He was someone that could be mistaken for a god.

"I understand, my Lord."


End file.
